The Lady Of The Red Moon (1)

“Hey, did you hear that story?”

“Huh? What?”

“They say a ‘lady’ is coming to our commander.”

“What? Really?”

At the words of the short gray-haired man, Zik, the men sprawled about in scattered places suddenly swarmed over.

“Is that for real?”

“Yeah, man. I heard it myself passing by the commander’s office. It’s for sure.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Didn’t they raid a wyvern nest last time and send it to the capital? Maybe it’s the reward.”

“Huh. Is it true?”

At the empire’s far north stood the fortress known as the Red Moon, called the grave of knights. There were no ordinary soldiers; everyone who came perished. Whether exiled for crimes, pushed out in power struggles, or having come voluntarily from the shame of losing a patron, only knights with heavy pasts guarded this fortress, which bordered the Demon King’s territory. The demon folk didn’t deliberately invade imperial lands, but mindless monsters would prowl near the Red Moon at any chance. Once past this place, human villages lay close by and would be tempting prey.

As a result, in this gloomy, perilous fortress where people died daily, only slaves guilty of death were used as attendants. Usually, independent fortresses like this had one or two sex slaves—referred to as ‘ladies’—to boost troop morale, but oddly, the Red Moon had never received one. Most sex slaves weren’t condemned to death and the overall number was always short, so they were never supplied to a place like the Red Moon where people died so readily.

The news that a slave to serve the commander’s nights would be sent to a place that had not even a single maidlet—let alone a ‘lady’—caused them to make a needless commotion.

“So when is she coming?”

“Dunno. I don’t know that part.”

“Hey, then shouldn’t we prepare to welcome the ‘lady’?”

At that moment, the alarm bell rang loudly, signaling alert.

“Ah shit, what now.”

Grumbling, they armed themselves and ran out in an instant.

A dozen or so knights, keeping their guard up, rode toward the distant Red Moon Fortress.

“We’re almost there, so hold on just a bit longer.”

A man, acting as the leader of the group, approached and spoke through the small window on the side of the heavy, sturdy carriage transporting the prisoner. What was he expecting her to “hold on” for? It sounded absurd, but the woman obediently answered “yes.” The man had been considerate toward her, a mere slave, during the journey—which she knew wasn’t ordinary kindness. Given how properly he used honorifics, he had probably received some instruction from whoever sent him. Unpaid kindnesses were rare, so she was truly grateful.

Then a knight at the front spotted a plume of dust rising in the distance.

“Sir O’Neil, look over there.”

The man who had brought his horse by the carriage stepped forward again, narrowing his eyes to make out what the dust cloud was.

“Could there be a battle breaking out?”

“It looks like it.”

O’Neil hesitated briefly, whether to wait here or ride toward the fight. He assigned five knights to guard the carriage and ordered the rest to follow him.

“Stay here and wait.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Ten knights, led by O’Neil, urged their horses hurriedly toward the rising dust.

The woman left in the carriage didn’t know what was happening but noticed only a few knights remained nearby. Amid the silence, only the intermittent sound of horses’ hooves could be heard.

It had taken nearly fifteen days to travel from the capital to here, and the woman was utterly exhausted. She sat listlessly on the hard, chill floor and stared blankly through the small opening at the outside scene.

“The Red Moon…”

She’d long heard the fortress’s notorious reputation at the northern edge. The commander who’d guarded it for over ten years was said to be a monster. Known as a naturalized royal, he was rumored to have an ogre’s bulk and a serpent’s cunning. His eyes shone like a raptor’s; when he bared his teeth in rage with a tiger’s ferocity, most men couldn’t stand.

She knew that more than half such rumors were usually false. Yet the thought of being sent as a night-attendant slave to a man she didn’t even know was terrifying. Bitterly, she realized this was her last chance.

Her hand trembled as she smoothed her hair without thinking. She needed to please the man somehow, but had no confidence. She knew nothing about relations between men and women and wasn’t sure how a slave should comport herself.

Still, trying to make a good first impression, she smoothed her face and straightened her clothes when—

Thunk!

The carriage jolted violently. Suddenly the hoofbeats had stopped and everything outside was eerily quiet. Wondering what was happening, she moved toward the window when—

Grrr…

A chilling eye appeared beyond the window. She didn’t know much about monsters, but at a glance it was huge and ominous, peering at her through the only gap in the iron-bound carriage.

A scream rose in her throat and she clamped her hands over her mouth.

Thud! Thud!

With sounds of heavy blows trying to crush the carriage, shocks reverberated inward. With nothing to hold onto, her body rolled and slammed against the walls, causing intense pain.

“Ugh…!”

Before this, she had thought she didn’t care what happened to her life. Now she just wanted to live, no matter what.

‘Please save me. Please let me live.’

Thud! Thud! Crack!

The iron plates were buckling more and more. Small gaps widened. The plea she couldn’t voice spilled out as tears. Could that desperate wish, which no one could possibly have heard, have reached someone?

Roar!

With a savage howl, the carriage’s shaking suddenly stopped. She wanted to know what was happening outside, but her body was frozen with fear as terrifying howls and chilling crashes continued beyond.

Screeeech!

The most dreadful cry she’d heard rang through everything. Then, all at once, every sound ceased.

Only the pounding of her heart echoed loudly. What had happened? Could it really be over? As she began to uncurl herself,

Swish!

Thud!

A slicing sound close by was followed by a blinding light pouring in. It sounded like a latch being cut from the iron carriage. Beyond the wide open door, she saw a man. Her light-sensitive eyes couldn’t take him in fully, but even at a glance he had a commanding build and fierce presence comparable to the capital’s great general.

“You alright?”

Her body flinched at the heavy, low voice.

“The carriage’s ruined. If you can move, come this way.”

The man offered a large, rough hand. She moved cautiously and took it. The hand felt so small and soft that he frowned, unsure how much force to use. What was meant to be a gentle pull turned almost into a yank, and the woman’s body flew into his arms.

“Ah…”

At her startled cry, he carefully set the small, light woman down and stepped back.

Her once-beautiful platinum hair was dry and disheveled, and her amber eyes that had once glittered with light had lost their luster, yet she still gave off a noble, ethereal air.

Something about her seemed familiar yet he couldn’t quite place his finger on it. He’d been cooped up in the fortress too long anyway. Only a major event like the emperor changing would be something that would reach this far.

As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the man’s appearance: jet-black hair and violet eyes. He wore a black uniform and cloak, and even his exposed face and hands were stained with monster blood, making his features hard to discern. Still, he didn’t look like the monstrous commander the Red Moon’s rumors suggested.

“The knights who were guarding you here are all dead. Are you indeed a slave sent to the Red Moon?”

Her heart chilled at the news that the knights were dead. She clenched her trembling hands and barely managed to answer.

“…Yes. That’s right.”

“I see. What’s your name?”

“Liris.”

She didn’t give a family name. She couldn’t reveal it, and now that she was a slave it was unnecessary.

He lifted her onto his horse first, then mounted himself. Once he took the reins, she found herself practically in his embrace. Amid the sharp scent of metal and the sickly smell of blood, his personal scent hit her. Her heart raced with renewed tension. She still didn’t know who the Red Moon’s commander truly was, but it had suddenly sunk in that she would be in this man’s arms regardless.